Foldable furniture base

ABSTRACT

A foldable furniture base for a supporting a substantially planar support surface, such a glass or other table top, desk top, bed frame mattress support, table-like structure, or other furniture top is disclosed, in which the foldable furniture base may be folded down into a thin, low-volume configuration for ease in transport and storage. The foldable table base comprises a plurality of panels that are engaged in sequence with hinges or other forms of attachment that allow the panels, when closed, to be superimposed one on top of another, as in an accordion-fold configuration, for example. When positioned for supporting a furniture top, the set of engaged panels may be easily formed into a variety of decorative and useful configurations. Various embodiments of the foldable furniture base comprise panels with a wide variety of characteristics, including a variety of quantities, shapes and sizes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to furniture, and moreparticularly to a foldable furniture base for supporting a table top orother planar support surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Tables and table-like structures are items that are typically bulky totransport, due in part to the commonly orthogonal relationship betweenthe table top and the legs or other supporting members of the table. Apackage for enclosing an assembled table frequently includes a largeproportion of “dead air space” below the table top and between thesupporting members of the table. When shipping costs are based onvolume, sending an assembled table may cost considerably more thananother package of the same weight.

Furthermore, transporting an assembled table may expose the legs orother supporting members to physical stresses beyond those that theywere designed to endure, sometimes resulting in broken or damagedtables. Disassembling a table that was not designed for frequentassembly and disassembly, on the other hand, may also compromise thestructural integrity of the table.

For these and other reasons, a wide variety of collapsible tables andtable-like structures have been devised and made generally available tothe public.

However, when such collapsible table-like furniture structures aredesigned for ease of shipping, they are frequently made fromlight-weight materials, sometimes even including cardboard, which maynot provide the durability or weight-bearing properties of similarfurniture made from heavier-weight materials. Furniture made of suchlight-weight materials may be suitable for some temporary, casual, orplay purposes, but may not be desirable for use as real furniture. Forexample, strength and durability of a furniture base may be especiallydesirable when a table top of glass or other heavy material is desired.When collapsible furniture is made from stronger and more durablematerials, it frequently requires assembly using hardware items that maybecome misplaced when the furniture is being shipped, stored, assembled,or disassembled. Furthermore, such hardware may detract from thedecorative appearance of the collapsible furniture.

Furthermore, collapsible tables frequently include both a supportportion (a base or legs) and a table top to be purchased together as aset. Purchasing a base and top as a set may not be convenient forpurchasers who wish to use a table top that they already own or thatthey choose to acquire separately to suit their decorating, convenience,or other needs, such as a glass table top that may be acquired locallyin order to minimize shipping costs and risks of breakage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To address these and other deficiencies, a foldable furniture base forsupporting a table, pedestal, bed stand, or other table-like structureis disclosed. The foldable table base comprises a plurality of panelsthat are attached in sequence using hinges or other forms of engagement,thereby allowing the panels to be superimposed one on top of another, toform a thin, low-volume configuration for ease in transport and storage.The panels may be arranged in any of a variety of useful and decorativeconfigurations that allow the foldable table base to support asubstantially planar support surface, such as a glass or other table topor other furniture top. In various embodiments, the panels may bepositioned so as to be hinged or otherwise engaged with at least oneother panel along a line that runs substantially perpendicular to ahorizontal plane, such as the floor.

Embodiments of the foldable furniture base are described that alsopermit ease of use in that the foldable furniture base isself-contained, with no need for assembly of separate components on thepart of a purchaser. Other embodiments allow for very easy assembly thatdoes not involve additional hardware or require the use of tools.

In various embodiments of the foldable furniture base, the panels may beformed of a variety of materials and in a variety of shapes.Furthermore, the panels may be planar, arced, or bent at angles, andportions of the panels may be cut out for decorative or other purposes.The panels may also be positioned into a variety of decorativeconfigurations for use in supporting a furniture top.

An embodiment of a foldable furniture base for supporting asubstantially planar furniture top is described, wherein the foldablefurniture base is formed of a plurality of panels that are sequentiallyconnected using hinge mechanisms, and wherein the foldable furniturebase has a collapsed storage condition in which the panels are foldedatop one another.

An embodiment of a furniture base for supporting a substantiallyhorizontal planar member is described. The furniture base consistssubstantially of multiple panels, wherein each of the panels has agreatest thickness and a longest linear dimension, and wherein a ratioof the greatest thickness to the longest linear dimension is less than0.03.

An embodiment of a collection of members for supporting a generallyplanar furniture top above a floor is described. The collectioncomprises at least two panel members and an engagement mechanism. Eachof the panel members has a first edge surface for supporting the planarfurniture top and a second edge surface, opposite the first edgesurface, for supporting the panel member on the floor. The engagementmechanism allows the two panel members to be connected in twoalternative arrangements, the arrangements comprising: a firstarrangement in which the panel members are superimposed on one another;and a second arrangement in which the panel members meet one anotheralong a line which runs perpendicular to both the planar furniture topand the floor.

Neither this summary nor the following detailed description defines theinvention. The invention is defined by the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of one embodiment of a foldable furniturebase in a laid-flat configuration for viewing.

FIG. 1B is a more detailed view of a portion of the foldable furniturebase shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a view of the first embodiment of the foldable furniture basedepicted in FIG. 1A, as folded into a compact configuration fortransport and/or storage.

FIG. 3 is a view of the first embodiment of the foldable furniture base,opened into one embodiment of a support configuration for use to supporta table top.

FIG. 4 is a view depicting two foldable furniture bases and two tabletops configured to form a display table.

FIGS. 5A-5C provide three top views of embodiments of the foldablefurniture base when positioned into a sampling of alternativeembodiments of support configurations.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a foldablefurniture base in a laid-flat configuration for viewing, in which thepanels are of different shapes and in which some panels have cut-outportions.

FIG. 7A is a side view of a fourth embodiment of a foldable furniturebase, having curved panels, in a laid-flat configuration for viewing.

FIG. 7B is a side view of the fourth embodiment of the foldablefurniture base, having curved panels, folded into a compactconfiguration for transport and/or storage.

FIG. 7C is a top view of the fourth embodiment of the foldable furniturebase with curved panels in one embodiment of a support configuration.

FIG. 7D is a top view of the fourth embodiment of the foldable furniturebase with curved panels in a second embodiment of a supportconfiguration.

FIG. 8 depicts one embodiment of a slotted panel for use with a fifthembodiment of the foldable furniture base.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the fifth embodiment of the foldablefurniture base, formed with panels of the type depicted in FIG. 8 andconfigured to support a table top.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A foldable furniture base for a table top or other table-like structureis disclosed. The foldable furniture base comprises a series of panelsthat are connected by hinging or other engaging mechanisms that allowthe foldable furniture base to be folded down into a thin, low-volumeconfiguration for ease in transport and storage. When opened into asupport position, the foldable furniture base may be configured in anyof a variety of useful and decorative configurations for supporting asubstantially planar furniture top. For example, various embodiments ofthe foldable furniture base may be used to support a variety of tops,such as tables tops for coffee tables, dining tables, end tables,display tables (including portable display tables for use in a tradeshow), television stands, as well as tops for forming a bed base forsupporting a mattress, and a variety of other uses.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of one embodiment of a foldable furniturebase 100 in a laid-flat configuration for viewing. This embodiment ofthe foldable furniture base 100 comprises a plurality of panels 125 thatare hingedly connected in a linear configuration by a plurality of hingemechanisms 150.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1A, the foldable furniture base 100comprises six panels 125. In other embodiments, the foldable furniturebase 125 may comprise another number of panels 125, for example threepanels 125 or eight panels 125.

The panels 125 are formed of one or more materials that provide thefoldable furniture base 100 with sufficient strength and rigidity tosupport a table top, or other substantially planar furniture top (notshown in FIG. 1A), when the foldable furniture base 100 is placed in asupport configuration, as will be described in greater detail withreference to FIG. 3 below. In various embodiments, the panels 125 may beformed of a metallic material such as aluminum, stainless steel, copper,other metallic material or a combination of metallic materials. In otherembodiments, the panels 125 may be formed of plastic, wood, or othermaterial or combination of materials.

In various embodiments, the panels 125 may be of a variety ofdimensions, depending, at least in part, on a range of sizes of tabletop or other substantially planar support member intended to besupported by the foldable furniture base 125. In one preferredembodiment, in which the foldable furniture base 100 is used to supporta table top for a coffee table, the panels 125 may be approximatelysixteen inches wide, sixteen inches high, and one-sixteenth inch inthickness. For an embodiment for supporting a larger table, the panels125 may be thirty inches high by thirty inches wide by one-eighth of aninch in thickness. For an embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100intended for supporting a mattress platform for a bed, the panels 125may be approximately twenty-four inches wide, sixteen inches high, andone-eighth inch in thickness. An embodiment of the foldable furniturebase 100 intended to be used to form a pedestal, for supporting asculpture for example, may use panels 125 sized to suit the sculptureand the location in which the pedestal is intended to be used, such ason a table top, or free-standing on the floor. The dimension of thepanels 125 may also be selected based, at least in part, on thematerials used for the panel.

Embodiments of the foldable furniture base 100 wherein the panels 125are relatively “thin” allow for compact packaging of the foldablefurniture base 100 for purposes of shipping and/or transport. FIG. 1B isa more detailed view of a portion of the foldable furniture base shownin FIG. 1A. As depicted in FIG. 1B, a diagonal or other longest lineardimension 170 may be measured for the panels 125 of the foldablefurniture base 100. As further depicted in FIG. 1B, a greatest thickness160 may also be measured for the panels 125 of the foldable furniturebase 100, wherein the greatest thickness 160 is generally much smallerthan the longest linear dimension 170. A ratio of the greatest thickness160 to the longest linear dimension 170 of the panel 125 may becalculated. In various embodiments, the ratio is generally less than0.05, preferably less that 0.03, and most preferably less than 0.005.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1A, each of the panels 125 of the foldablefurniture base 100 is engaged with at least one other panel 125 with ahinge mechanism 150. As will be familiar to a practitioner of the art, ahinge mechanism 150 that connects two panels 125 allows the two panelsto swing about the hinge mechanism 150 in a variety of positions. Thehinge mechanism 150 allows the panels of the foldable furniture base tobe folded substantially flat one on top of another, for transport orstorage, as will be discussed further with reference to FIG. 2.

The hinge mechanism 150 may comprise any of a wide variety of commonlyavailable hinges. For example, butt hinges, piano hinges, or othercontinuous hinges, either surface-mounted or recessed or a combinationof the two, made of metal or plastic or another material, may be used.Alternatively, the hinge mechanism 150 may be formed integrally with thepanels 125, for example with plastic panels 125, as will be familiar toone of skill in the art. Furthermore, the hinge mechanism 150 may be aspiral-binding mechanism or other type of engagement mechanism.

Various types of hinge mechanisms 150 used in embodiments of thefoldable furniture base 100 differ from one another in the angle ofrotation that they permit between two connected panels 125. Althoughsome hinge mechanisms 150 allow for an open angle close tothree-hundred-sixty degrees, many hinge mechanisms 150 allow for smallerangles of rotation, for example one hundred eighty degrees to twohundred seventy degrees. As will be familiar to a practitioner of skillin the art, some hinge mechanisms 150 provide a greater angle ofrotation when attached to a panel 125 with a larger “cut-out” section,even allowing panels to be folded flat upon the neighboring panel fromeither direction. Some embodiments of the foldable furniture base 100comprise such a “cut out” section and hinge mechanism 150. The range ofangles of rotation permitted by the hinge mechanisms 150 of a foldablefurniture base 100, may determine a set of configurations in which thepanels 125 of the foldable furniture base 100 may be positioned when inuse, as will be discussed further with reference to FIG. 5.

FIG. 2 is a view of a first embodiment of the foldable furniture base100 depicted in FIG. 1A, as folded into a compact configuration fortransport and/or storage. As described with reference to FIG. 1A, thehinge mechanisms 150 of the foldable furniture base 100 allow the panels125 to be superimposed one on top of another, for example in anaccordion-fold-like manner, in order to configure the foldable furniturebase 100 into a compact configuration. In the compact configuration, thefoldable furniture base 100 takes up a small volume, encloses a minimumof “dead air space,” and may be conveniently packaged for shipmentand/or storage. Thus, cost components of the foldable table base 100related to shipping and storage costs may be reduced. Furthermore, formany embodiments, the foldable furniture base 100 may be convenientlytransported in the compact configuration by a purchaser in an automobileor other small vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a view of the embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100depicted in FIGS. 1A and 2, now opened into one embodiment of a supportconfiguration for use to support a table top 300. In the supportconfiguration, the panels 125 of the foldable furniture base 100 arepositioned such that the hinge mechanisms 150 that connect the panels125 project orthogonally upward from a floor or other horizontal surfaceon which the foldable furniture base 100 is placed. The panels 125 ofthe foldable furniture base 100 may thus be described as standing ontheir edge. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the panels 125 areconfigured into a rectangular shape and support a rectangular glasstable top, such as for a coffee table or a dining room table.

In other embodiments, the foldable furniture base 100 may be used tosupport other types of substantially planar, horizontal supportsurfaces, which for purposes of this disclosure will occasionally bereferred to generically as “furniture tops.” For example, anappropriately sized embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100 may beused to support a sheet of material or set of planks, for example, onwhich a mattress is placed to form a bed. Embodiments of the foldablefurniture base 100 may also be used to form smaller items, such asbedside tables or pedestals, as well as a wide variety of other items.

FIG. 4 is a view depicting two foldable furniture bases and two tabletops configured to form a two-storied display table. As shown, a firstfoldable furniture base 100 and a first table top 300 are disposed aswas described with reference to FIG. 3, and a second foldable furniturebase 100 is placed on the first table top 300 to support a second tabletop 300, thus forming the two-storied display table. Practitioners ofskill in the art will readily see numerous other useful configurationsfor the foldable furniture base 100.

FIGS. 5A-5C provide three top views of embodiments of the foldablefurniture base 100 when positioned into a sampling of alternativeembodiments of support configurations. FIG. 5A depicts the panels 125 ofthe foldable furniture base 100 configured into a closed polygon. Inparticular, because the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5A comprises fivepanels 125, the polygon is a pentagon. FIG. 5B depicts the panels 125 ofthe foldable furniture base 100 configured into a zigzag shape. FIG. 5Cdepicts an embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100 having twelvepanels 125 into a six-pointed star shape. Alternatively, the six-pointedstar shape of FIG. 5C may be formed by using two foldable furniturebases 100 having six panels 125 each. The embodiments of FIGS. 5A-5Cdemonstrate that the foldable table base 100 described herein provides awide degree of flexibility in selecting decorative panel configurations,which may be advantageously viewed through a transparent surface such asa glass table top. Furthermore, the panels 125 may be easilyre-configured to change decor or to suit a different table top or othersupporting surface. For example, the foldable furniture base 100 and asuitable table top 300 may be used to conveniently set up and break downa display table for a trade show or other temporary event.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a foldablefurniture base 100 in a laid-flat configuration for viewing, in whichthe panels 125 are of different shapes and in which some panels 125 havecut-out portions 600. As depicted in FIG. 6, embodiments of the foldablefurniture base 100 may comprise panels 125 of more than one shape.Furthermore, panels 125 may be formed in a variety of shapes thatprovide sufficient contact, along a first non-hinged side, with a flooror other horizontal surface on which the foldable table base is placedto be stably supported by the horizontal surface, and that providesufficient contact, along a second non-hinged side, with a table top orother substantially planar support surface to stably support thefurniture top. Thus, the panels 125 may have curved upper and loweredges, may be formed as rectangles, squares, ovals, hexagons, or may beformed in any of a wide variety of other regular or irregular shapes.Furthermore, the panels 125 of a given foldable furniture base 100 maybe of different dimensions as long as the foldable furniture base 100may be stably supported by the surface on which is sits and may providestable support for a furniture top disposed upon it.

FIGS. 7A-7D depict four views of an embodiment of the foldable tablebase 100 in which the panels are curved instead of being planar. FIG. 7Ais a side view of a fourth embodiment of a foldable furniture base,having curved panels 125, in a laid-flat configuration for viewing. Inthe embodiment depicted in FIG. 7A, the hinge mechanisms 150 attach thepanels 125 in alternating convex and concave positions in order tofacilitate folding. FIG. 7B is a side view of the embodiment of thefoldable furniture base 100 from FIG. 7A, in which the curved panels arefolded into a compact configuration of small volume for transport and/orstorage. Although the panels 125 are curved, they are thus able to befolded substantially contiguously, one on top of another. In otherembodiments, the curved panels 125 may be curved to a greater or alesser extent than are the panels depicted in FIGS. 7A-7D. Furthermore,in some embodiments, the panels 125 may be formed into wavy,multi-curved configurations that may be hinged and superimposed onepanel 125 upon another.

FIG. 7C is a top view of the fourth embodiment of the foldable furniturebase 100 in which the alternating curved panels 125 are formed into oneembodiment of a support configuration that forms a closed shape. FIG. 7Dis a top view of the fourth embodiment of the foldable furniture base inwhich the alternating curved panels are formed into a second embodimentof a support configuration having a curved zigzag shape. In otherembodiments, the foldable furniture base 100 may comprise othernon-planar shaped panels 125 that allow for positioning in a compactconfiguration suitable for transport and/or storage and that allow forother decorative and useful support configurations. In otherembodiments, other non-planar panels 125, such as panels 125 bent toform angles may be used to form the foldable furniture base 100.

FIG. 8 depicts one embodiment of a slotted panel 125 for use with afifth embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100. As shown in FIG. 8,the panel 125 comprises two slots 800 that extend perpendicularly fromone edge of the panel 125. In other embodiments a panel 125 may includeonly one slot 800 or more than two slots 800.

As will be familiar to one of skill in the art, two panels 125 withslots 800 may be engaged with one another by positioning a first panel125 so that the slots 800 extend vertically downward from an upper edgeof the panel 125 towards the floor or other planar surface on which thefurniture base 100 is supported and by positioning a second panel 125 sothat the slots 800 extend vertically upward from a lower edge of thepanel 125 and so that the slot 800 of the second panel 125 is directlyabove the slot 800 of the first panel 125. By lowering the slot 800 ofthe second panel 125 onto the slot 800 of the first panel 125, the twopanels 125 may be engaged. Thus, the panels 125 may be easily assembledinto the foldable furniture base 100 without using tools or additionalhardware.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the fifth embodiment of the foldablefurniture base 100, formed with four of the panels 125 of the typedepicted in FIG. 8 and configured to support a table top. In FIG. 9, thefour panels 125 are engaged using the slots 800 in the panels 125 toform an inner rectangular or square shape. In various embodiments,different numbers of panels may also be interconnected to form thefoldable furniture base 100. In some embodiments, some or all of thepanels 125 may be engaged to form a “U” shape or a “V” shape, or azigzag shape, or other open or closed shape. Furthermore, embodiments ofthe panels 125 and of the foldable furniture base 100, such as have beendescribed with reference to FIGS. 1-7D, may also be applied to theslotted panels 125 of FIGS. 8-9, including, but not limited to, panelsof various shapes, panels with portions cut out, panels with curved orother non-linear upper and lower edges for supporting the furniture top300 and for being supported by the floor, as well as panels formed to beplanar, curved and/or bent. In addition, embodiments of the foldablefurniture base 100 using panels 125 with slots 800 may be formed intotwo-storied configurations and may be used to form bed frames, displaytables, pedestals, and any of a variety of other useful support bases,as will be familiar to one of skill in the art upon reading thisdisclosure.

To arrange a foldable furniture base 100 made of panels 125 with slots800 into a compact configuration for transport and/or storage, thepanels 125 may be disengaged from one another and may be superimposedupon one another to form a compact stack of panels 125. Alternatively,in some embodiments, when the slots 800 and the thickness of the panels125 permit, the panels 125 may be collapsed while still engaged with oneanother to form a substantially flat configuration.

An advantage of preferred embodiments of the foldable furniture base isthat by using panels that are engaged using hinges or other suitableengagement mechanisms, the foldable furniture based may be packaged verycompactly for convenient shipping and/or storing. Furthermore,embodiments of the foldable furniture base allow for a variety ofdecorative configurations for use in supporting a furniture top.

Although the foldable furniture base 100 has been described in terms ofcertain preferred embodiments, other embodiments will be apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art from the disclosure herein.Additionally, other combinations, omissions, substitutions andmodifications will be apparent to the skilled artisan in view of thedisclosure herein. While certain embodiments of the inventions have beendescribed, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only,and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, thenovel foldable furniture base described herein may be embodied in avariety of other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Theaccompanying claims, as now presented and as may be amended or otherwisesupplemented in the future, are intended to cover such forms ormodifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of theinvention.

1. A foldable furniture base for supporting a substantially planarfurniture top, wherein said foldable furniture base is formed of aplurality of panels that are sequentially connected using hingemechanisms, and wherein said foldable furniture base has a collapsedstorage condition in which said panels are folded atop one another. 2.The foldable furniture base of claim 1, wherein each of said pluralityof panels has a greatest thickness and a longest linear dimension, andwherein a ratio of said greatest thickness to said longest lineardimension is less than 0.03.
 3. The foldable furniture base of claim 2,wherein said ratio is less than 0.005.
 4. The foldable furniture base ofclaim 1, wherein said panels are made of a metallic material.
 5. Thefoldable furniture base of claim 4, wherein said metallic material is atleast one of: aluminum, stainless steel, and copper.
 6. The foldablefurniture base of claim 1, wherein said panels are made of wood.
 7. Thefoldable furniture base of claim 1, wherein said panels are made of aplastic material.
 8. The foldable furniture base of claim 1, whereinsaid hinge mechanisms are formed integrally with said panels.
 9. Thefoldable furniture base of claim 1, wherein said hinge mechanisms arenot formed integrally with said panels, and wherein at least one of saidhinge mechanisms is attached to two of said panels.
 10. The foldablefurniture base of claim 1, wherein said substantially planar furnituretop is a table top.
 11. The foldable furniture base of claim 1, whereinsaid substantially planar furniture top is a support for a mattress. 12.The foldable furniture base of claim 1, wherein said substantiallyplanar furniture top is a pedestal top.
 13. A furniture base forsupporting a substantially horizontal planar member, said furniture baseconsisting substantially of multiple panels, wherein each of said panelshas a greatest thickness and a longest linear dimension, and wherein aratio of said greatest thickness to said longest linear dimension isless than 0.03.
 14. The furniture base of claim 13, wherein said ratiois less than 0.005.
 15. The furniture base of claim 13, wherein at leastone of said panels is bent to form an arc
 16. The furniture base ofclaim 13, wherein at least one of said panels is bent to form at leastone angle.
 17. The furniture base of claim 13, wherein at least one ofsaid panels includes at least one slot that allows said panel tointerconnect with another of said panels.
 18. A collection of membersfor supporting a generally planar furniture top above a floor,comprising: at least two panel members, each having a first edge surfacefor supporting said planar furniture top and a second edge surface,opposite said first edge surface, for supporting said panel member onsaid floor; and an engagement mechanism which allows said two panelmembers to be connected in two alternative arrangements, saidarrangements comprising: a first arrangement in which said panel membersare superimposed on one another; and a second arrangement in which saidpanel members meet one another along a line which runs perpendicular toboth said planar furniture top and said floor.
 19. The collection ofmembers for supporting a generally planar furniture top above a floor ofclaim 18, wherein said engagement mechanism comprises a hinge thatconnects said two panel members.
 20. The collection of members forsupporting a generally planar furniture top above a floor of claim 18,wherein said engagement mechanism allows said panels to be disengagedfrom one another.